Roller conveyer



A ril 13, 1937. H. M. RISHEL ROLLER CONVEYER Filed March 25, 1936 2Sheets-Sheei 1 mL T F N mm m N w T-MNMA T R Emv B I U V! B J A ril 13,1937. HEL 2,077,189

ROLLER CONVEYER Filed March 25, 1 936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .J 1, j J1 NINVENTQR HUBERT M. HISHEL ATTORNEY$ Patented Apr. 13, 1937 PATENT OFFICEROLLER. ooNvEYEir Hubert M. Rishel, Edwardsville, m, as'signor toMathews conveyer Company, Ellwood City, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania I Application March 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,203

, 1 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in conveyers andmore particularly -to conveyers of the general character disclosed in myco-pending application, filed March 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,202.

An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyer comprising aplurality of conveyer units, and in which each unit is complete'initself, whereby the units may be spaced apart, both lengthwise andcrosswise of the conveyer, to best suit the type or character of theload to be conveyed, and whereby passages are provided between theconveyer units so that trucks may be propelled across the conveyer, whendesired, and also whereby cleaning and sweeping between the units isgreatly facilitated. I

A further object is to provide a conveyer unit comprising a base memberhaving a plurality of resilient supports thereon adapted to support aframe provided with suitable load-carrying rollers, said frame beinginseparably connected to the base member whereby said frame and membermay be moved about as an integral unit.

A further object is to provide a conveyer comprising a plurality ofindependent conveyer units each comprising one or more resilientlymounted rollers and the resilient means supporting said rollers beingunder a controlled compression, based upon the weight of the load to becarried, whereby the rollers may not yield,under ordinary operatingconditions, but are free to yield when subjected to an abnormal oroverload.

A further object is to provide a conveyer unit comprising a rectangularbase member having a plurality of spring elements thereon, and a rollercarrying frame being supported directly on said spring elements, wherebywhen a heavy load passes over the unit, said frame will yield, therebyto prevent the rollers from becoming overloaded and also whereby a loadconveyed over a plurality of conveyer units will be approximatelyuniformly distributed over said units; and means being provided forcontrolling the'pre-compression of the spring elements and retainingthem under a predetermined tension, determined by the weight of the loadto be conveyed' Other objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed outin the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is tobe understood that the invention is not confined to the exact featuresshown as various changes may be made within the scope of follow.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showingv my improvedconveyer unit; 5 Figure 2 is a side elevation, partially broken away, toshow the means for resiliently supporting the roller carrying frame onthe basemember;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; w

' Figure 4 is a plan view showing a conveyer composed of a plurality ofconveyer units, such as the claims which illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 1, on a larger scale, showing aload being transported over the conveyer with its forward end about toengage one of the rollers of a conveyer unit.

The novel conveyer unit, herein disclosed, comprises a base member,generaly indicated by the 20 numeral 2, and shown having a plurality ofupright portions or bosses 3, apertured to receive suitable bolts 4. Thebosses 3 are preferably 10-: 1 cated at the corners of the base member,as clearly illustrated in Figure 1, and provide means for retaining aplurality of spring elements 5 in position thereon. ,A frame, generallyindicated by the numeral 6, is seated directly upon the spring elements5, and preferably has its side rails l notched as shown at 8 in Figures1 and 2, adapted to receive the end portions of the axles 9 of aplurality of conveyer rollers ll, preferably of theanti-friction type.The notches 8 are relatively smaller in width than the diameter of theaxles 9, and .the latter are flattened, as indicated at l2 in Figure 3,whereby the axles, when supported in the notches 8, are prevented fromrelatively rotating. If desired, other means may be provided forpreventing the axles from relatively rotating in their supports. 40

The frame 6 is shown provided at its corners with suitable enlargementsor lugs I3, each having a recess i l; and the bottom wall of saidrecesses are provided with apertures i5, as shown in Figure 2, forreceiving the upper ends of the bolts l, whereby the frame 6 issupported directly upon the springs 5, as clearly illustrated in Figure2. Suitable nuts iii are received in threaded engagement with the bolts4 and provide means whereby the compression in the springs 5 may be 50varied, to suit the weight of the load to be conveyed, and also wherebythe springs may be retained undera controlled compression. Underordinary operating conditions, thesprings 5 hold the frame 6 firmlyagainst the nuts i6, and do 55 rollers ,l I.

The roller supporting frame 6, in the present instance, is shown madefrom cast metal but it is to be understood that it may be otherwiseconstructed without departing from the scope of the invention. Therecesses l4 receive and protect the nuts l6, as is clearly illustratedin Figure 2.

Figure ,4 illustrates a conveyer composed of a plurality of units, suchas illustrated in Figure 1. These units maybe arranged in a single rowor in two rows, as shown in Figure 4, dependingupon the character of theload or material to be conveyed. By constructing the units, asillustrated in Figures 1 and 2, whereby each unit is complete in itself,the units may be arranged in any suitable manner to meet therequirements of each installation as, for example, if the loads to beconveyed are relatively short, the conveyermost portions of the rollersll of said units .are

preferably alined horizontally so that the rollers of each unit willcontact with the load beingtransported over the conveyer, assuming, ofcourse, that the load has a flat bottom, whereby each roller spanned bythe load will carry approximately its proportionate share of the load.

The novel conveyer unit herein disclosed, readily lends itself for usein various types of conveyer installations. ,Because of the unitsbeingindependent of one another, they'may be arranged in close proximity, orthey may be spaced relatively farther apart lengthwise of the conveyer,depending upon the nature of the load to be conveyed. In like manner,the spacing between units crosswise of the conveyer may be varied tosuit conditions. By thus spacing apart the various units, bothlengthwise and crosswise of the conveyer, ample space may be providedbetween the units to permit trucks to pass between the units or wherebythe wheels of the trucks may pass therebetween, and the operation ofcleaning a and sweeping around the units is also greatly facilitated.

If desired, the conveyer unit may be mounted directly upon a concretefloor, or they may be mounted on suitable foundations IT, as shown inFigure 5. The units may be arranged in alinement -crosswise. of theconveyer, as shown in Figure 4, or they may be staggered. Because ofeach unit being complete in itself, any desired size of conveyingsurface may readily be provided, as .will readily-be understood byreference to Figure 4, and by proper alinement ofthe uppermost portionsof the rollers of the units, each conveyer unit will carry substantiallyits proportionate share of the load, wherebytheweight of the load havinga reasonably smooth bottom surface, is substantially uniformlydistributed on all of the units disposed therebetween, with the resultthat none of the rollers will be overloaded. Should the load have anuneven bottom, or a bump thereon, each roller, as it is engaged by saidbump, will yield to the overload temporarily imposed thereon, wherebythe load may pass uninter ruptedly over the conveyer without, in anyway, damaging the rollers or their bearings.

It is to be understood that the compression of the springs or resilientelements 5 of each roller is so regulated as to permit the roller toyield only when subjected to an overload. In other words,

- if the load transported over the conveyer, does not exceed the safecarrying capacity of the rollers l l, the springs will retain the frame6 in the position shown in Figure 2, against the abutment nuts I6.Should the load or any part thereof impose an overload on any of therollers, the springs 5 supporting said rollers will flex and permit therollers to yield and thereby permit the overload to pass over therollers without damaging the rollers or their bearings.

I claim as my invention;

1. A conveyer comprising a plurality of independent conveyer unitsarranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the conveyer, each of saidunits having a resiliently mounted conveyer roller, and means forpre-compressing the resilient mounting of each unit independent of theother units, said rollers each being freely rotatable at all timesindependent of the weight of the load transported thereover. v v

2. A conveyer comprising a plurality of independent conveyer unitsarranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the conveyer, each of saidunits having a spring mounted roller support. and a conveyer rollercarried by said support, whereby said roller is resiliently mounted, andmeans for pre-compressing the springs of each of said resilient supportsindependent of the resilient supports of the other units, said rollersbeing freely rotatable at all times independent of the precompression ofsaid resilient supports or the weight of the load transported thereover.

3. A conveyer unit comprising a resiliently mounted roller support and aconveyer roller carried by said support, means for placing saidresilient support under a pre-compression independent of the weight ofthe roller and associated elements, said roller being freely rotatableat all times independent of the 'pre-compression of said resilientsupport or the load adapted to be supported by said roller, and saidunits each being independent structures whereby a conveyer line may beformed from a plurality of said units arranged in any desired spacedrelation.

4. An independent. conveyer unit comprising a base and a rollersupporting frame having a conveyer roller carried thereby, resilientmeans interposed between said base and said frame, and means forpre-compressing said resilient means, said roller being freely.rotatable at all times independent of the weight of the load adapted tobe transported, thereover or the pie-compression of said resilientmeans. 7 5. An independent conveyer unit comprising a base and a rollersupporting frame having a conveyer roller carried thereby, springsinterposed between saidbase and frame whereby said frame is held inspaced relation to said base, means interconnecting said base and framefor pre-compressing said springs thereby to provide a resilient supportfor said conveyer roller, said roller being freely rotatable at alltimes independent of the pre-compression .of said springs or the weightof the load adapted to be transported over the unit. I

6. An independent conveyer unit comprising a pair of substantiallyrectangular frame members.

being freely rotatable at all times independent of the pre-compressionof said springs or the load adapted to be supported bysaid roller.

'7. A conveyer comprising a plurality of independent roller unitscapable of being arranged in any desired spaced relation with respect toeach other, each of said units having a conveyer roller resilientlymounted thereon and the resilient mounting of each unit pre-compressedindependent of the other units, the roller of each unit being freelyrotatable at all times independent of the rare-compression of saidresilient mounting Or the weight of the load adapted to be transported'5

